[X] Aoko
[X] Jeanne
[x] Dejan
Birdcoin! x1
I thought a tank suddenly barging out of a school, despite me not being a stranger to military vehicles, would be the most improbable thing I'd see that day. That may've been so, but that we were suddenly interrupted by a thunderous drumming sound, heavy chanting, and the thick smell of incense, didn't help in making me feel any less settled.
"You would say they're loud enough to wake the dead, but believe me, I've tried,"
Aoko said as she merely chuckled at this out-of-nowhere burst of noise. I, um, wasn't about to ask for an elaboration.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0CsmdB2jso
Just inside the main hall of Hope's Peak's North building, the building where classes were usually held whereas the South Building was more recreational, the whole floor was doused in circles of some sort of water that fizzled to the touch. Ofuda tags were plastered all over, as if this building was haunted or something, and even a crucifix had been hung up.
I soon saw the two people responsible; one was a
shrine maiden who was still furiously beating her
taiko drum. Her long hair, which I noted since most girls wore theirs shoulder-length, was
black with a purple tinge and sported a
crimson bow, and she wore a
white school jacket above a
red skirt and pantyhose, the same colour scheme as the traditional kosode and hakama. Most alarming was the giant
nodachi sword sheathed on her back, which true I did sometimes see offered at shrines. No worse than the tank I figured.
The other was a man with
flowing blond hair tinged black and a serious expression. His
black robes were shrouded by a
blue overcoat with
gold trim, there was a mark in the shape of a cross over his eye, scars on his palms, and woven multicolour diamond-shape hanging around his neck. Hold on, was this that Ultimate Miracle-Worker Momoka had talked about on the radio?
"Hiyah, begone evil spirits!"
the miko immediately said when she saw us, doing a flip jump over her drums and slowly unsheathing her sword, eyes glaring.
"Spirits? Wait no, we're just like you, w-we're the other students here!" I tried to say as quickly as I could, only for Aoko to slide in just to mess with things.
"Yes, we are but spirits from beyond the grave,"
she smirked, but then she asked the Miko, "However, why do you automatically assume we're
evil spirits? One can't exactly help dying, and really what's the difference between ghost and human but tangibility?".
At this remark though,
the miko scowled, folded her arms, and went, "Grr, don't think I can't tell when you're makin' fun of me!".
But a second, the miko's anger faded and was replaced by a beaming grin, "Anyways, I'm
Amano-
[ ] Tomoe
[ ] Kagura
[ ] Miya
[ ] Write-in
Head Maiden all the way over at the Izumo Grand Shrine, which of course makes me Ultimate Miko!" she so smugly beamed.
Huh, it turned out Aoko's approach was more successful than mine, though I'm no Ultimate Reverse Psychologist.
"Even if we were a buncha spooks though, I doubt we'd be scared off by some crazy dame's artless drumming," I heard
Genpachi mutter, "Seriously, no syncopation? this is the exact sorta crap music's been movin' away from".
"Hey, I heard that!"
Amano then shot out again. Great, I didn't need Genpachi sabotaging this situation again.
The more reasonable, and with actual interviewing experience,
Momoka then stepped in to address the holy man. "Why hello, you would be
Omura-
[ ] Justo
[ ] Isukiri
[ ] Simeon
[ ] Write-in
the Ultimate Miracle-worker am I correct? I was handed a picture of you on my NHK radio program and knew you'd be at Hope's Peak, and the resemblance is uncanny" she said.
"Radio?!"
Omura stared coldly at her. "Feh, do not tempt me, serpent, I know exactly what kinds of lurid programs and accursed anthems you place 'on the air'. Be off with you, soundwave Jezebel, may His divine light shield me from the music of Naamah!".
"Heh, I wish,"
Genpachi just smirked at Omura, "NHK only plays the lamest, tamest crap there is. Now jazz and blues, that's some proper Devil's music right there, actually worth selling your soul by the crossroads for".
Birdcoin! x1
Omura just ignored him, in fact I wasn't even sure Omura understood him.
"P-Please, I meant no offence!"
Momoka pleaded with the miracle-worker, "I-I said only positive things about you on our show, like how it's said your prayers saved your hometown from destruction, or that the Vatican's considering you as a future Pope or even Saint!".
"T-there's someone
that Christian here?"
Hildegard muttered for some reason.
"It's okay, just leave this
ticnafa be,"
Jeanne then said, and er, I took it reversing word syllables was apparently a thing in French? "Le Catholic Church has its slithering tendrils in more zan enough places".
"Yeah, don't think I didn't notice the Vatican cosying up ta Mussolini, ya hear me?"
Dejan exclaimed.
"Ah, but I had to notice that already you're getting along rather well with our Miko here?"
Toranosuke swiftly stepped in to lighten Omura's mood, before Jeanne and Dejan's words could set him off again.
"Why yes, one of faith naturally recognises another, ahem, regardless of
which faith,"
Omura smiled, his expression finally lightening, "And, well, I am not so removed from the material world to not recognise which faith has the most influence in our land".
"Yep, and don't you forget it!"
Amano smirked, holding herself up.
"A pox on both your houses I'd say,"
Fuhito then had to butt in, "After all, what place does religion have in a rigorous investigation? A killer's motive maybe, but that is all. Reason has made a joke of your gods".
Th-these are your classmates, Kirigiri! Can't you get along? was what I wanted to say, but... the thought of anyone snapping back at me made me tremble, as if I was hearing my superiors barking down at me again.
"Yeah, but it makes for good drumming!"
Amano then said out of nowhere, before she whipped her sticks back out and then started pounding on top of Fuhito's head. Toranosuke had to promptly step in to resolve things.
We soon split into groups to examine the main Hope's Peak building more thoroughly, and find out just where this Gymnasium was. Momoka, Dejan, and I couldn't help but notice the sight of a strange, metallic door that clashed with the surrounding wooden corridor.
I slowly approached to knock, only to immediately hear a firm, cold voice on the other end. "Who is this?"
"Er, hi there. I-I'm Tsubasa Enoshima, I'm a Pilot attending here. The other students and I w-were just trying to find the Gymnasium" I stepped back and told her.
The door gradually opened, and we were met by a
tall girl sporting a
blackish-brown ponytail. She wore a
coat, black on the outside and
blue on the inside, over a
white naval jacket marked with a
silver anchor emblem, then had on a
pleated skirt and
black boots with
pantyhose.
"Yeah, and I do tank stuff! So like, that means we're practically a trio, right?"
Dejan spoke up, but nobody acknowledged him.
"Oh my, you'd be the Ultimate Captain, wouldn't you?"
Momoka said, her eyes brightening. "Ah, this'd make for everyone I had on my radio show!" The captain girl didn't acknowledge her either.
Her stone glare however did slowly fade, as she muttered, "Well, none of you seem a threat. Very well, while I'm here you may enter my Lab".
"Wait a minute, lab?" I said, a little off guard.
"Huh, didja barely read up on Hope's Peak before ya came here?"
Dejan said, looking at me, "We're Ultimate students, so the school gives us custom-fit Ultimate Research Labs, like I got a whole garage and everything!".
"Oh, right. It's just I was scouted late, that's all, so I didn't get as much time" I told him.
The Lab of the Ultimate Captain actually had a whole bunch of metal doors inside, like most battleships did. I couldn't say for certain, but I vaguely remembered this was to protect against hull breaches. I even saw those little round windows and a steering wheel, no less. Just being in here, I nearly forgot this was even a schoolroom.
"I owe you my name, don't I?" the Captain said to us, before she sighed and said, "Very well, I am
Yamato-
[ ] Kairi
[ ] Manami
[ ] Shinju
[ ] Write-in
